(1) FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a surgical endoscopic suction/irrigation cannula assembly including a valve actuator.
(2) DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Surgical endoscopic procedures typically follow three steps. First, a cannula, such as a Veress cannula, is inserted into the abdominal cavity through in the abdominal wall and the cavity is inflated with insufflating gas which is passed through the cannula tubular housing. After insufflating, a small incision is made in the skin and a standard trocar spike is thrust into the inflated abdomen through the bore of the trocar tube. The spike is inserted for purposes of puncturing or cutting of the abdominal wall and piercing the fascio and perotineum inside the cavity. After removal of the spike, a suction/irrigation cannula is inserted through the trocar housing and into the opening so that fluids may be drained from the body cavity.
Endoscopic surgery also includes the introduction through a trocar tube of a number of auxiliary surgical instruments such as, for example, a laparoseope, or the like. Heretofore, in many surgical instances, endoscopic surgery procedures have been performed through the trocar tubular housing by sequential insertion and removal of surgical instruments as they are needed. As the surgery is performed using such instruments, many situations require concurrent introduction or removal of gaseous or liquid fluid materials immediate the area of the surgery. Thus, removal of a surgical instrument from the body cavity through the trocar tubular housing and reinsertion through the trocar housing of a device for transmission of the gaseous or liquid substance not only complicates the surgical procedure, but is also time consuming and may introduce unforseeable consequences to the surgical operation.
Endoscopic surgery is a very fine art, demanding extremely controlled movements of the surgeon's hand in the operation of the surgical instruments through the trocar housing. Therefore, any valves which are required to be manipulated by the surgeon must be extremely sensitive and manipulatable in direct response to a very minor application of pressure or movement of the surgeon's hand or finger.
The present invention addresses the problems set forth above. In particular, the present invention provides a combination surgical endoscopic suction/irrigation cannula assembly which includes a valve actuator. The invention permits the introduction or removal of fluid to or from the body cavity during surgery by activation with only a minor amount of pressure through the surgeon's finger and provides a positive comparatively frictionless repeatable valve head and seat assembly. In addition, the present invention provides a means for introducing or removing fluid from the body cavity during surgery through the cannula housing through which an auxiliary device may be inserted at any time during the surgery without removal of the valve actuator device, thus permitting the auxiliary endoscopic instrument to be utilized concurrently with a device which will also permit introduction of and/or removal of gaseous or liquid fluids from the body cavity during the surgical operation.